Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has issued a warning about an Iranian-backed plot targeting Israeli athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Katz shared the intelligence in a letter to his French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné, stating that proxies of Iranian terror groups were planning to execute the attack.
“There are those who seek to undermine the celebratory nature of this joyous event,” wrote Katz. “We currently have assessments regarding the potential threat posed by Iranian terrorist proxies and other terrorist organizations who aim to carry out attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics.”
The Paris Olympics commenced on July 24 with a football match between Argentina and Morocco, while the official opening ceremony is set for Friday, July 26. A total of 88 Israeli athletes are participating in the Games, and they have been under round-the-clock protection from French security services, supplemented by Shin Bet (Israeli security agency) officials.
Before the start of the event, Israeli athletes received threatening messages via email and phone. The first batch of messages, sent to 15 athletes, was signed by an entity identifying itself as “the People’s Defense Organization,” a group that does not exist.
“The People’s Defense Organization announces that it intends to harm any Israeli presence at the Olympics. The Jewish lobby that controls the French Parliament won’t decide anything anymore,” read the message. It also warned of a repeat of the tragic events of Munich 1972, where terrorists from the Black September group killed 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer.
“Therefore, you’re not invited to Paris 2024. If you come, take into account that we intend to repeat the events of Munich 1972,” the message added. According to Israeli media reports, Israel’s opening ceremony flagbearer Peter Paltchik, swimmer Meiron Amir Cheruti, and several others received invitations to their own funerals.
In response to these threats, heightened security measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of the Israeli delegation. The French government, in coordination with Israeli security services, is taking the necessary precautions to protect the athletes and prevent any potential attacks.
